閱讀理解（九）

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C和D四個選項中，選出最佳選項。

A

Upcoming Events of New York Chinese Cultural Center

Fan Dance

Sunday， April 5， 2：00 pm—3：00 pm， $15 per child

New York Historical Society Museum & Library

Learn Chinese fan dancing with an instructor from NYCCC！ This program is a part of an exhibition which examines the history of trade and immigration between China and the United States.

Dragon Boat Festival

Friday， April 10， 2：00 pm—2：30 pm

Fresh Meadows Park

Come and celebrate with us in the thousand-year-old tradition of dragon boat racing！ Be part of the audience and enjoy the excitement of this celebration. FREE ADMISSION！ Click here for more information. Dragon Boat Festival will be held in Fresh Meadows Park.

Dance to China

Sunday， April 12， 2：00 pm

Spruce Street School Auditorium， 12 Spruce Street， New York， NY 10038

Join us in celebrating 45 years of preserving and continuing Chinese traditional dance. Students from NYCCC School of the Arts will be performing traditional Chinese dance， martial arts， and Beijing opera. Cost is $15 for adults， $12 for teenagers and senior citizens， $10 for children under 12.

NYCCC School of the Arts Open House

Saturday， April 18， 1：00 pm—3：00 pm， $12 per child

PS 124， Yung Wing School， 40 Division Street， New York， NY 10002

Join us and see Chinese dance， kung fu， and acrobatic （雜技的） performances performed by our current students. Come and see our students beautiful artwork on display and make some artwork yourselves during our hour of arts and crafts and face painting from 1：00 pm to 2：00 pm. The show will be from 2：00 pm to 3：00 pm.

1. Where can we learn about China-US trade and immigration history？

A. In Fresh Meadows Park.

B. In PS 124， Yung Wing School.

C. In Spruce Street School Auditorium.

D. In New York Historical Society Museum & Library.

2. How much should a couple with their 5-year-old son pay to participate in Dance to China？

A. $42. B. $40. C. $37. D. $34.

3. What does NYCCC aim at？

A. Training dancing instructors. B. Producing beautiful artwork.

C. Promoting Chinese folk arts. D. Examining trade and immigration.

B

Coming to the end of my assistantship in Barcelona， I start to think about what the future might hold. Its been seven months and a few days since I arrived here and things have changed so much in what some might call a short period of time. When I first arrived in Terrassa I was excited and nervous to start a new adventure in a country I love. The first few days seem so long ago now， trying to find a place to live， organizing my timetable with the schools， meeting new people.

However， a fortnight later， the excitement started to fade and I began to spend more than a few nights thinking about family and friends back home， wondering if I should be there with them. Everything started to change after meeting some new friends and spending good time with them， eating together and seeing new places as a group. I suppose we should never forget how important it is to have good people in your life， because they can make a difference.

Coming back to Terrassa after visiting home for Christmas felt like returning to a second home， to a place that was mine with people I cared about. Things got even busier and more people came into my life.

Now， looking forward， there are some decisions to make. Should I return home to Scotland and move on with life there or try to extend my time here， perhaps make it something permanent？ Experiencing other cultures or learning about the world is such an important thing to do if you have the means.

My advice from my experience so far is to travel and try new things whenever you get the opportunity. You may find somewhere you were always supposed to be.

4. Why did the author go to Barcelona？

A. To meet his curiosity. B. To conduct his work.

C. To begin a new adventure. D. To experience a new culture.

5. The author began to feel homesick ____ .

A. as soon as he set foot on Terrassa B. when he was considering his future

C. after a few weeks stay in Terrassa D. when he was trying to find a living place

6. The author is unsure about ____ .

A. where to spend his future life B. how to enjoy his life in Terrassa

C. what to do to extend his time in Terrassa D. whether to celebrate Christmas with locals

7. What has the author learned from his experience？

A. Having a clear idea of oneself is important.

B. Traveling alone brings a great many benefits.

C. Learning about the world makes life more colorful.

D. Keeping an open mind toward new things is necessary.

C

Have you ever been given something you dont like or doesnt fit， but you dont want to hurt the feelings of the person who thinks about you？ Youre not alone. Everyone has received an unwanted gift at least once in his or her life. That doesnt mean the item is bad or useless. It simply means that it doesnt work for you.

If you find yourself with something nice but that doesnt fit into your lifestyle， consider regifting it. Before you do that， make sure you understand the manners of this practice that is more and more common as people find it difficult to make ends meet to a great extent.

There are specific things you should do to an item. Failure to do any of them may create an awkward situation. You never have to lie about what you are doing， but you dont want to be in the position of having to explain anything. For example， remove the original wrapping paper and rewrap it in your own; make sure the box is in good condition so the item doesnt appear used; check the item and make sure there are no cards or names on the packaging; inspect the item and make sure it is in excellent condition.

When you get ready for regifting， consider having a white elephant gift exchange for your next celebration. This removes all the embarrassment of being caught regifting because thats the whole purpose of the event. In order to prevent hurting feelings， provide everyone with a guest list and ask them not to bring anything given by the people on that list.

8. Why does the author begin the text with a question？

A. To share a hot phenomenon. B. To introduce the following part.

C. To ask for readers answers. D. To point out a common opinion.

9. What contributes most to the growing regifting？

A. Peoples lack of money. B. Peoples dislike of the gifts.

C. Peoples reduced desire for gifts. D. Peoples understanding of its manners.

10. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about？

A. What to do before regifting. B. How to make use of unwanted gifts.

C. What kind of gifts to be regifted. D. Why regifting can cause embarrassment.

11. What does the underlined phrase in the last paragraph mean？

A. Good-looking but valueless. B. Nice but unsuitable.

C. Packaged and invaluable. D. Expensive and useful.

D

Traditionally， robots have been hard， made of metal and other rigid material. But a team of scientists at Harvard University in the US has managed to build an entirely soft robot—one that draws inspiration from an octopus （章魚）.

Described in science journal Nature， the “Octobot” could pave the way for more effective autonomous robots that could be used in search， rescue and exploration. “The Octobot is a minimal system which may serve as a foundation for a new generation of completely soft， autonomous robots，” the studys authors wrote.

Robots built for precise， repetitive movements in a controlled environment dont do so well on rough terrains （地形） or in unpredictable conditions. And they arent especially safe around humans， because theyre made out of hard and heavy parts that could be potentially dangerous to their users.

So researchers have been working on building soft robots for decades. Theyve taken inspiration from nature， looking to animals from jellyfish to cockroaches， which are often made up of more flexible matter.

But creating a completely soft robot remains a challenge. Even if engineers build a silicone （硅酮） body， its still a grand challenge to construct flexible versions of essential parts， such as a source of power.

“Although soft robotics is still in its early stage， it holds great promise for several applications， such as search-and-rescue operations and exploration，” Barbara Mazzolai and Virgilio Mattoli of the Italian Institute of Technologys Center for Micro-BioRobotics， wrote in a comment. “Soft robots might also open up new approaches to improving wellness and quality of life.”

12. What is the special feature of “Octobot”？

A. Its soft. B. Its made of metal.

C. Its very small. D. It looks like an octopus.

13. What is the disadvantage of traditional robots？

A. Theyre hard to control. B. Theyre too heavy to move.

C. They cant predict conditions. D. They cant behave well all the time.

14. What is one of the biggest challenges to build a completely soft robot？

A. Its silicone body. B. Its complex components.

C. Its precise movements. D. Its flexible power source.

15. What can we infer from the text about the application of “Octobot”？

A. It has not been put into widespread use. B. It has been used in the field of rescue.

C. It has been used in various fields. D. It has not been improved yet.

閱讀七選五

根據短文內容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中有兩項為多余選項。

How to Become an Effective Leader？

The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow， but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. ? ? ? ?16 ? ? ? ?It takes time to become a trustworthy leader.

As you prepare yourself to become a better leader， use the following guidelines to help you grow.

◆ Dont be self-centered.

The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. ? ? ? ?17 ? ? ? ?Perhaps that is why Lawrence Bell remarked， “A man who cannot bother to do little things for others are unlikely to become a good leader.”

◆ ? ? ? ?18

Rare is the effective leader who didnt learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first.

◆ Work with excellence.

No one respects and follows mediocrity （平庸）. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents， but also great passion and hard work. ? ? ? ?19

◆ Give your power away.

What makes leadership so special is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have， not by saving it all for yourself. ? ? ? ?20 ? ? ? ?If you use your power to empower others， your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.

A. Become a good follower first.

B. They perform at their highest level.

C. You are meant to be a river， not a pool.

D. They lead in order to serve other people.

E. Leaders help others to reach their potential.

F. Leadership isnt learned or earned in a moment.

G. Leadership is influence， nothing more， nothing less.

16. _______ ?17. _______ ?18. _______ ?19. _______ ?20. _______

完形填空

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的A、B、C和D四個選項中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項。

There was once a poor and disappointed salesman. He complained every day that there was no platform for him to 21 his ability and the fate was often pulling his leg.

At Christmas Eve， every family 22 their houses with lanterns and it was festive everywhere. But he was sitting alone on a bench in a park and recalling the 23 . It was on the same day last year when he was also drinking 24 ， without new clothes， new shoes， let alone a new car and a new house.

“I have to spend this Christmas Eve with these old shoes again，” he 25 and began to take off the old shoes. Suddenly， he 26 at a young man in a wheelchair passing by him with his hands difficultly 27 the wheels forward. It dawned on him that he was so 28 to have shoes to wear while that man did not even have the 29 . Afterwards， the salesman 30 every opportunity to improve himself and tried his best to make 31 every day. Several years later， he 32 changed his life totally and became a millionaire.

If you look around， you will find there are so many people who were born 33 in the society but they are 34 in life and never complain about the fate. Instead， they constantly 35 to make themselves stronger to 36 the society. By contrast， we should feel 37 . We are born healthy， but we are fed up with life; we 38 about our colleagues and are 39 with our jobs.

Maybe we would feel afraid when we realize we have fallen into such a 40 state of life， but worse is that we never realize that.

21. A. appreciate B. display C. increase D. assess

22. A. painted B. filled C. furnished D. decorated

23. A. matter B. trouble C. past D. incident

24. A. alone B. freely C. slowly D. aside

25. A. whispered B. added C. sighed D. screamed

26. A. glanced B. shouted C. smiled D. glared

27. A. driving B. putting C. pushing D. sending

28. A. healthy B. astonished C. rich D. lucky

29. A. chance B. luck C. challenge D. motivation

30. A. accepted B. seized C. expected D. enjoyed

31. A. sense B. progress C. friends D. contributions

32. A. eventually B. fortunately C. continuously D. surprisingly

33. A. lazy B. poor C. ugly D. disabled

34. A. energetic B. stubborn C. confident D. serious

35. A. intend B. struggle C. remember D. wish

36. A. understand B. enter C. serve D. shape

37. A. proud B. thrilled C. pitiful D. ashamed

38. A. complain B. talk C. learn D. fight

39. A. unfamiliar B. dissatisfied C. confused D. busy

40. A. tiring B. boring C. annoying D. embarrassing